From Internal Politics to Customer Obsession, The CRO Evolution
Luna Shirley, Chief Revenue Officer at ROI Hunter, and Sanja Gabler, Chief Revenue Officer at Trapets, discuss the most complex growth barriers. They unpack internal alignment, customer obsession, and trust as core levers. They share lessons from long cycles and crowded SaaS markets that turn insights into practical execution.
From Internal Politics to Customer Obsession, The CRO Evolution A Conversation with Luna Shirley, Chief Revenue Officer at ROI Hunter, and Sanja Gabler, Chief Revenue Officer at Trapets EPISODE 210 Steve MacDonald HOST:
Table of Contents • [1:18] Introduction to Luna Shirley and Sanja Gabler • [42:06] Full Podcast Episode • [3:15] Episode Highlights Video • [7:24] How to End Interdepartmental Micromanagement and Reclaim Market Focus • [7:35] Building Peer-Validated Trust Across Every Buyer Touchpoint • [2:04] Making Iteration a Habit To Win Unstable Markets • [5:54] Building Internal Trust and Flexible Policies That Scale • [5:39] Treating ICP as the Company-Owned North Star • [3:10] Balance Quarterly Targets With Brand That Compounds • [3:01] Building Capacity Buffers to Absorb Market Shocks • [2:26] Why Trust Must Be Every Executive’s Daily Focus • [0:56] Short - Ending Interdepartmental Micromanagement and Reclaim Market Focus • [0:59] Short - Building Peer-Validated Trust Across Every Buyer Touchpoint
ABOUT Luna Shirley & Sanja Gabler Luna Shirley, Chief Revenue Officer at ROI Hunter, and Sanja Gabler, Chief Revenue Officer at Trapets, discuss the most complex growth barriers. They unpack internal alignment, customer obsession, and trust as core levers. They share lessons from long cycles and crowded SaaS markets that turn insights into practical execution.
FULL EPISODE "Once you ensure the general direction is aligned, you are good to go." – Luna Shirley
[3:15] Episode Highlights
[7:24] How to End Interdepartmental Micromanagement and Reclaim Market Focus "There is a difference between a strong internal alignment and intradepartmental micromanagement, which is something that it's very easy to fall into and turn into a huge rabbit hole. As senior managers, we have to really have the ability to check ourselves and trust in our colleagues." – Luna Shirley
[7:36] Building Peer-Validated Trust Across Every Buyer Touchpoint “To ensure internal alignment, it is important that every person who is involved from different departments understands how we create trust with the buyer committee and how we get them through the whole journey.” – Sanja Gabler
[2:04] Making Iteration a Habit To Win Unstable Markets “What you knew yesterday might not be valid today or tomorrow. So, you need to be on top of your prospects, your pitches, who's on the other side in the market.” – Sanja Gabler
[5:54] Building Internal Trust and Flexible Policies That Scale “We really live in turbulent times that go both externally as well as internally, and we have and should retain rational boundaries that will enable us to perform and deliver as a team.” – Luna Shirley
[5:39] Treating ICP as the Company-Owned North Star “I do see that what is very important in this ever-changing environment is to focus on one thing, and that is the lowest common denominator of the partnership of the service that you deliver, or the value that your clients get from you. Get it right, get it correct.” – Luna Shirley
[3:11] Balance Quarterly Targets With Brand That Compounds “To be able to set the context on where we are short term versus where we are long term really helps to balance and navigate what plan to execute.” – Sanja Gabler
[3:01] Building Capacity Buffers to Absorb Market Shocks “You have to have a healthy business because that enables you to plan in a way for the long term.” – Luna Shirley
[2:26] Why Trust Must Be Every Executive’s Daily Focus “Have a plan or process to manage change and don't be prestigious when it comes to your decision that needs to be changed.” – Sanja Gabler
YOUTUBE SHORT: “There is a difference between a strong internal alignment and intradepartmental micromanagement, which is something that it's very easy to fall into and turn into a huge rabbit hole. As senior managers, we have to really have the ability to check ourselves and trust in our colleagues.” – Luna Shirley
YOUTUBE SHORT: “To ensure internal alignment, it is important that every person who is involved from different departments understands how we create trust with the buyer committee and how we get them through the whole journey.” – Sanja Gabler
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